Flair | Laurette Adams Thomas guarding nation’s children with grace, grit

On any given day, Laurette Adams-Thomas carries the weight of Jamaica’s most vulnerable children on her shoulders. Yet she does not describe her work as pressure. She calls it purpose.

“I believe that I was called by God to be in this field,” said the chief executive officer of the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), her voice calm but assured. “Every step of my journey has been ordered. When I look back over my life, I can see clearly that the experiences I thought were detours were actually preparation. Nothing was wasted.”

Her journey, however, did not begin in a boardroom but in a classroom as a high school educator. Later, she travelled overseas, intending to strengthen her financial footing by finding employment more closely aligned with her undergraduate degree in human resource management. Instead, she found herself supervising group homes for children and adolescents with significant physical, intellectual and psychological challenges.

“At the time, I believed I was simply making a practical decision,” she recalled. “But God had other plans. Working with those children shaped my understanding of vulnerability, structure and advocacy. Little did I know that He was preparing me for something greater.”

That “greater” would unfold when she became the first female general manager of The Golden Age Home in Kingston, the largest infirmary in Jamaica and the Caribbean. For eight years, she provided leadership to an institution serving more than 450 indigent residents, many of whom had moderate to severe behavioural, psychological and physical challenges.

When Adams-Thomas’ journey led her to assume leadership of the CPFSA in October 2023, she entered an agency facing intense public scrutiny and immediately set about reform.

She implemented a brand improvement strategy to directly address negative perceptions of the agency, championed the expansion and streamlining of therapeutic services, and strengthened monitoring of childcare facilities.

Under her leadership, the Ananda Alert system was also expanded, adding digital broadcasts for missing children across high-traffic locations.

She also supported anti-bullying reforms, with efforts leading to Governor General Patrick Allen’s declaration of October 7 as National Anti-Bullying Day.

Her legislative advocacy also helped secure Canada’s ratification of Jamaica as a signatory under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.

“Our responsibility does not end at receiving a report,” the CEO explained. “It extends to investigation, court support, therapeutic intervention and, where necessary, policy reform. Child protection is not a single action; it is a continuum of care.”

Yet for all the policy and programme expansion, she sees her work through a deeply maternal lens.

“I may not be a biological mother, but I am a mother to many,” she said, her tone softening. “Every decision I make, I ask myself, ‘Would this protect a child? Would this give them a fair chance?’ That is the standard.”

Her advice to single parents who are giving it their all is both firm and compassionate: “Ensure your children are safe and receiving an education. If you are overwhelmed, seek mental health support for them and for yourself. Reach out to your church, or your child’s guidance counsellor, or to the CPFSA for counselling assistance. There is strength in asking for help. If we are not well mentally and emotionally, it can definitely affect how we parent.”

Meanwhile, at home, she draws her own strength from her husband, an evangelist whom she describes as her spiritual covering and steady support. “My husband is my biggest pillar of support. He prays with me, he counsels me, and he reminds me daily of my purpose. This work can be heavy, but thank God that He has not called me carry it alone.”

The CEO says her guiding scripture, “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me”, is more than a mantra; it is her compass. It steadies her in controversy, sharpens her in strategy and softens her in service. In the demanding work of child protection, Adams-Thomas stands assured that she is not merely occupying a position but fulfilling a divine assignment.